Motor Neurone Disease Association: Jo's Voice

At On Agency we first encountered Jo Harris when a piece she wrote about living with MND was published in the Guardian. We immediately knew that her raw honesty and sense of humour would make a strong impression on MND Association supporters. Tragically, Jo passed away as the pack was being prepared, so we contacted her brother, who graciously agreed to add his voice to the pack -- introducing his sister and discussing the devastating effect of the disease on their whole family. I wrote this letter in collaboration with Raphael. Many of the specific details were added by him -- as you can see, they really bring the letter to life, and make his tribute to his sister all the more moving.

What would you say if you only had your voice for one more day?

We also wanted to include an interactive element in this pack -- an involvement device that was related to Jo's distress at the loss of her voice to MND. So we asked supporters to tell the Association what they would say if they only had one day left to use their voice. A great many supporters filled in this card, and sent it back with their donation. The messages they wrote were incredibly moving -- some very serious, others more light-hearted. Ahh, the power of the human voice.

Jo's Letter Itself

I didn't write this, Jo Harris did. But I just want to include it here because it's incredibly powerful writing and I think more people should read it. We enclosed it within its own envelope, which provides a suitable engaging introduction to a heart-wrenching letter.